The present invention relates to a method for producing a multi-layered foil laminate having at least two layers, both layers printed on one side and serving as outside layers providing identifying indicia through an exterior transparent plastic film, the printing being by conventional offset half tone lithography printing. The invention is also directed to a novel multi-layered foil laminate having two outside layers fused together with over-laminating film and provided with printing on both sides of the foil laminate.
The use of foil laminates, which possess an external clear plastic surface to protect a printed surface and identifying indicia, is well known. The attractiveness of a metallic surface is generally recognized but such surfaces with printed indicia are subject to erosion with normal use without protective covering. Typical applications are credit cards, identification cards and similar uses.
The use of foil laminates, which possess an external clear plastic surface to protect a printed surface and identifying indicia, is well known. The attractiveness of a metallic surface is generally recognized but such metal surfaces with printed indicia are subject to smearing, smudging, or distortion of the wet ink as the printed metallic surfaces are handled during printing and further processing. In the prior art, metallic foil is taught as a laminate with an exterior plastic layer, which serves as the printing surface and as a protective outer layer. Reverse printing of the plastic layer which protects the metallic foil is used to provide print indicia on the inside of the plastic layer adjacent to the surface of the metallic foil, to avoid printing directly on the metallic foil.
Laminates with double-sided printing are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,844 teaches a method of double-sided printing on both surfaces of an outer layer of a foil laminate. The method of double-sided printing includes initially printing on the first side of an outer layer of a plastic film material wherein the printing is imparted to the side or surface of the plastic film material facing towards an underlying metallic foil to which it is to be adhered and the printing is applied to the plastic film material through the intermediary of either reverse or other suitable halftone color printing. Subsequently, the plastic material is bonded at the printed surface to the underlying metallic foil and a further printing is applied to the exterior surface of the outer plastic film layer. Thermal transfer printing is applied so as to not form any impressions on the foil laminate.
It is known to apply a clear vinyl film such as PVC over the printing on a vinyl core such as PVC under heat and pressure in a hydraulic laminating press. U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,533 teaches a method of preparing a credit card with a printed metallic surface protected by a transparent plastic film, which is bonded to the metal containing surface by a heat-activated adhesive, the metallic surface in the form of metal foil bonded to a plastic substrate under the application of heat and pressure in a hydraulic laminating press. U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,533 teaches the method of printing upon the metallic foil is by silk-screen printing with ultraviolet curable ink, the ink being cured immediately upon application of ultraviolet light. The use of conventional offset lithography printing is taught as not practical, especially in an automated process since the details of the graphics tend to blur and the processing of a plastic substrate with a metallized surface is problematical and unpredictable in results because the laminate in effect becomes a capacitor for storing static electricity generated during processing such as printing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,533 teaches that problems in breakage of the thin metalized surface and/or lack of clarity can be encountered in the application of a protective film over a metallic surface applied on the plastic core of a credit card.
It is an object of this invention to provide a double sided multiple layer double printed laminate which provides an attractive metal surface with printed indicia which printing is protected against erosion and normal usage by a transparent plastic film.
It is an object of this invention to provide a double sided multiple layer double printed laminate using conventional offset lithographic printing on a metal foilxe2x80x94plastic layered laminate and on a plastic film substrate, which are collated to form the double-sided multiple layer double printed laminate.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method for preparing a double sided multiple layer double printed laminate using conventional offset half tone lithography printing on a metal foil-plastic layered laminate and on a plastic film substrate, the metal foil-plastic laminate with printing on the metal foil and the printed plastic film substrate being collated and laminated together to form the double sided multiple layer double printed laminate.
This invention relates to a multi-layered foil laminate having at least two printed layers, one printed layer consisting of a printed metal foil upon a plastic film substrate, a second printed layer comprising a printed plastic film, the one printed layer consisting of a printed metal foil upon a plastic film substrate comprising a laminate, the two layers, one comprising a laminate, the second comprising a printed plastic film, being collated together and laminated together to form a multi-layered foil laminate. This invention relates to the process for preparing the multi-layered foil upon a plastic film substrate laminate with two printed layers, one layer comprising a printed metal foil upon a plastic film substrate and one layer comprising a printed plastic film, the printing by conventional offset half tone lithography printing, and to the multi-layered foil laminate prepared thereby.